1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a hook assembly or unit for attachment to a vertical surface. Particularly, the present invention relates to a unit attachable to a restroom stall wall or door for temporarily storing personal items such as hats, purses, backpacks, coats and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a restroom stall hook assembly that hinders theft of personal items stored in a receiving area of the hook assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are a wide variety of hooks designed for hanging personal items such as hats, purses, backpacks, coats and the like. Many of these hooks are used in public restrooms, often secured to a stall surface such as the stall door or side wall. A visitor usually places their personal items on the hook while using the facilities to support the items off of the floor. A typical restroom hook includes a planar mounting element for attachment to the stall surface and one or two generally J-shaped hooks extending from the mounting element, either in horizontal or vertical alignment, for hanging the personal items.
Theft in public restrooms of personal items stored on restroom hooks while a person is in the stall is a prevalent problem. A significant amount of the problem stems from a simple theft in which an object, often a purse, is hung on an interior hook in a restroom stall. The thief reaches over the stall, pushes the item off of the hook and onto the stall floor while the owner is in a particularly vulnerable position. The item then drops to the ground and the thief can then reach under the stall and grab the fallen item. Before the owner of the item can react, the thief has fled. This method of theft is often referred to as “push, drop and grab”.
Numerous attempts have been made to develop an anti-theft device for locking personal items to the device to prevent theft. These devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,984,250 (Connor); 6,152,419 (Bender); 6,338,463 (Babitz et al.) and D551,418 (Loveless) are often large devices, many having numerous moving parts. Such devices are more expensive than traditional known hooks, can secure a very limited number and type of items and are somewhat difficult to use, particularly if a visitor is in a hurry or unfamiliar with that type of device.
The present invention addresses problems and limitations associated with the prior art.